Secret, Secret
by make a quick exit
Summary: Two new apprentices have been accepted into RiverClan, loner sisters searching for a place called "home". But soon they find themselves at the heart of an intricate web of lies hidden for far too long. Can they figure this out, or drown in all the lies?
1. RiverClan allegiances

_**RiverClan**_

**Leader:** Sunstar {tortoiseshell and ginger tom with deep amber eyes}

**Deputy:** Treeleg {brown she-cat with impossibly long legs and light green eyes}

**Medicine Cat:** Twilightsky {tortoiseshell she-cat with black and light ginger patches; green eyes}

_Apprentice, Birdsong_

**Warriors:**

Cougarfang {sandy-brown tabby tom with pale blue eyes}

Dewdrop {gray tom with black flecks and dark blue eyes}

_Apprentice, Wildpaw_

Gorseclaw {siamese tom with distinctive black rings around his eyes}

Liongrowl {golden ginger tom with darker orange stripes and a white diamond in the middle of the chest}

Wolfsong {light gray she-cat with thick, layered fur and bushy tail}

Streamfrost {pale grey tabby she-cat}

Hailpelt {thick-furred grey tom}

Mapleleaf {reddish brown she-cat with darker paws}

_Apprentice, Daisypaw_

Tidetail {blue-gray tom with dark green eyes}

Woodfern {brown tabby tom with forest green eyes and wispy tail}

Grasswhisker {black she-cat with light green eyes and long feathery whiskers}

_Apprentice, Flowerpaw_

Stealthstep {gray and white tabby she-cat with a bushy tail}

Violetbreeze {very pale silver she-cat with uniquely-colored eyes}

Scorchgaze {flaming ginger tom with intense amber eyes}

_Apprentice, Darkpaw_

Icestorm {pure white tom with green eyes}

_Apprentice, Oysterpaw_

Spottednose {muscular white tom with gray patches}

**Apprentices:**

Birdsong {beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with one blue eye and one green eye}

Wildpaw {mottled brown-and-black she-cat with wild blue-green eyes}

Flowerpaw {pretty light orange she-cat with white stripes on her chest and golden amber eyes}

Darkpaw {black tabby tom with brown paws}

Daisypaw {light ginger she-cat}

Oysterpaw {silver she-cat with stormy green eyes}

**Queens & Kits:**

Lightningstripe {tortoiseshell queen with white streaks along her face} _Mother of Spottednose's kits_

**Kits:** Lightkit {white tom}, Stripedkit {grey tabby she-cat with darker stripes}

Snowstep {heavily pregnant pure-white queen} _Expecting Icestorm's kits_

Moonlight {light gray queen} _Mother of Liongrowl's kits_

**Kits:** Falconkit {bright ginger tabby she-cat}, Mistkit {pale grey she-cat}

**Elders:**

Dustfur {dark brown she-cat with intelligent green eyes}

Raincloud {elderly shaggy white tom with hazy blue eyes}


	2. ShadowClan allegiances

**_ShadowClan_**

**Leader: **Ravenstar {black she-cat with amber eyes}

**Deputy:** Nettlefang {burly brown tom with white chest and belly}

**Medicine Cat:** Cloudwhisker {black-and-white speckled she-cat with icy blue eyes}

**Warriors:**

Eaglespring {dark grey tom with brown paws; pale blue eyes}

_Apprentice, Mudpaw_

Toadfur {dark brown tabby tom}

Nightclaw {gray tom with dark eyes and black tail}

Cedartooth {very dark grey tom with a white belly}

Twigfall {mud brown tabby tom with a black striped tail}

_Apprentice, Blazepaw_

Foxtail {dark ginger she-cat with a white-tipped tail}

Waterpelt {blue-gray she-cat with white ears}

Barkfur {light brown tom}

Forestwind {brown and ginger she-cat with green eyes}

_Apprentice, Buzzardpaw_

**Apprentices:**

Mudpaw {tortoiseshell she-cat with bright amber eyes}

Blazepaw {golden tom with light green eyes}

Buzzardpaw {ginger she-cat}

**Queens & Kits:**

Redglow {long haired dark ginger queen} _Mother of Nettlefang's kits_

**Kits:** Mistlekit {pale brown she-cat}, Runningkit {small dark ginger tom}, Sugarkit {pale tabby she-cat with white ears}

**Elders:**

Gingerpelt {ginger she-cat with bright amber eyes}

Weaselheart {swift dappled amber tom with skinny legs}

Mountainfoot {dark brown tom with white paws and chest}


	3. WindClan allegiances

**_WindClan_**

**Leader: **Stonestar {huge black tabby tom with intense amber eyes}

**Deputy:** Mintleaf {pure-white she-cat with blue eyes}

**Medicine Cat:** Dovetail {white she-cat with feathery, kit-downy fur}

_Apprentice, Rabbitspring_

**Warriors:**

Talonclaw {ginger tom with black paws and muzzle}

_Apprentice, Nightpaw_

Berrytail {ginger she-cat with extremely long tail}

_Apprentice, Brackenpaw_

Sootfang {gray tabby she-cat with black stripes}

Heatherfoot {pinkish-grey she-cat with blue eyes}

Bluewind {solid blue-gray tom with bright green eyes}

_Apprentice, Aspenpaw_

Skycloud {white she-cat with blue flecks}

Marshgrass {light brown tom, amber eyes}

Whiteberry {small, pure white tom}

Pebblepelt {pale gray tom with amber eyes}

**Apprentices:**

Rabbitspring {brown tom with white paws}

Nightpaw {solid jet black tom}

Aspenpaw {pretty dark gray she-cat with lighter flecks}

Brackenpaw {bright orange she-cat with black paws}

**Queens & Kits:**

Cindercloud - dark grey tabby queen with blue eyes _Mother of Marshgrass's kits_

**Kits:** Deerkit {brown tom with large ears}, Blackkit {black she-cat}

Willowstripe - gray tabby queen with dark green eyes_ Mother of Talonclaw's kits_

**Kits: **Starlingkit {black she-cat with white flecks}, Rustkit {dark ginger she-cat}

**Elders:**

Dapplefur {pretty, dappled, amber she-cat}


	4. ThunderClan allegiances

**_ThunderClan_**

**Leader:** Robinstar {long haired brown she-cat}

**Deputy: **Owlstripe {dark brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes}

**Medicine Cat:** Seedfoot {pale gray tom with darker patches and hazy blue eyes}

**Warriors:**

Rockclaw {gray tom with dark patches and amber eyes}

Patchstorm {dark red-and-white tom}

Rosebriar {dark brown she-cat with three dark ginger paws}

_Apprentice, Emberpaw_

Tangleface {black tom with long matted fur}

_Apprentice, Edgepaw _

Nutfoot {light brown she-cat with a long bushy tail}

Dawnpetal {pale ginger she-cat with light brown flecks}

Thicketface {dark brown tabby tom with white paws and squashed face}

_Apprentice, Snowpaw_

Hawkshadow {dark brown tabby she-cat with obvious scar along her back}

Leopardclaw {unusually dappled black tom}

**Apprentices:**

Edgepaw {brown tabby tom with light blue eyes}

Emberpaw {solid gray she-cat with black ears}

Frostpaw {white tom}

**Queens & Kits:**

Darkheart {dark gray queen with black flecks} _Mother of Thicketface's kits_

**Kits: **Lichenkit {brown-and-white tom}, Swoopkit {tabby tom}

Bushpelt {brown queen with dark green eyes} _Mother of Patchstorm's kits_

**Kits:** Heatkit {dark orange she-cat}, Hillkit {dark brown tom with white paws}

**Elders:**

Sorrelwhisker {ginger she-cat with pretty amber eyes}

Eagle-eyes {broad-shouldered brown tom with large amber eyes}

Elmleaf {light brown she-cat with darker brown flecks}


	5. chapter one

**_&& secret, secret._**

_Chapter One_

Lily stared down hard into the depths of the iridescent river, blue-green eyes narrowed against the reflecting light and ears flattened with concentration. Her paw was poised in the air, claws glinting in the sunlight. Suddenly, her eyes glinted with triumph, and her paw made an echoing splash as she lashed out at her prey. But when Lily tugged her paw back up to the surface, no flopping fish followed as she'd expected. Frustrated, she hissed, and rocked back onto her flank. She'd give it another go later.

Lily noticed a flash of silver near the surface of the water as her prey vanished downstream. "Stupid floating piece of fox dung..."

Lily stood up, clawing dismally at the muddy bank, unsure of what to do next. Go home? No, it was too boring. More hunting? She didn't feel up to it. Climbing trees? She winced when she remembered what happened last time. Exploring? Maybe--

Something rushed from the ferns nearby, crashing into Lily's side and toppling her over. She skidded down the slippery bank a few tail-lengths, paws flailing wildly and getting herself tangled with her own tail. Lily landed half-way in the water, her muzzle sticking barely above the surface. Lily shot up immediately, blinking the water out of her eyes and spitting out gravelly water.

"You're clumsy," a tiny, young voice said. Lily was surprised by the snide comment. "A warrior can't be clumsy."

She heard the sound of paws squelching through the thick mud away from her. Lily shot forward, a little off balance, and managed to pin the tip of a tail down between her paws.

"Who are you?"

Lily's eyes cleared rather quickly as they stretched to the size of saucers, and water dripped down her nose. The she-cat stared down her long, pretty muzzle, her clear amber eyes narrowed. The tortoiseshell's spotted coat gleamed elegantly in the sunlight, and Lily noticed the startaling white streaks running across her cheeks, standing out almost like blinding lightning against the black mask of her narrow face.

"Streakface!"

Lily glanced cautiously behind the strange she-cat, wondering who that annoying voice was coming from. Her eyes met that of a tiny sand-colored kit, his body sunk up to his small flank in thick mud. The young tom's face was screwed into a little snarl with his lip slightly raised, off-white teeth and bright pink gums peeping through. He was securely behind the bigger, older she-cat, and he looked very smug that Lily had been caught trespassing on his "territory", with his green eyes glittering at her.

"Streakface," the kit repeated, gazing up at the tortoiseshell with a face filled with pure innocence, "look at this strange cat! Doesn't she smell bad?"

The tortoiseshell flattened her soft ears against her head, and hissed, "Why are you on RiverClan territory?"

"First off," Lily spat, tail lashing, "this is not your territory. Second, what in the name of the forest are you meowing about?"

"Well, I guess you must be a stupid kittypet--"

_"Kittypet?!" _Lily sneered. Lily was a hot-headed she-cat, the kind to claw off any cat's pelt and use it for bedding if they so much as growled at her. "Who are you calling a kittypet, _fox dung_?"

"Get off our territory," the tortoiseshell snarled, her lip curling to reveal sharp, pearly-white teeth.

Lily didn't miss a beat. She ignored the fact that the cat was older and bigger than her, and sprang anyways. She ran, raking her calws down the tortoiseshell's flank before she could even react, and fastened her own fangs into the other cat's shoulder. The cat yowled in rage at Lily's attack, vainly trying to shake off the small tabby.

Lily jumped off, landing one more blow across her opponent's cheek. Crimson blood spattered along the ground as Lily's freshly-sharpened claws ripped open skin. The tortoiseshell reared back on her hind legs, blood welling out of a gash underneath her eye.

Lily was just about to crash into the other cat's belly when she was tackled from behind. She writhed violently beneath this new opponent, the tart, fishy scent clogging her senses. The bulk knocked the breath out of her, and the thick fur was beginning to suffocate her. Lily gave a muffled caterwhaul as pain exploded on her sides where claws left their red mark.

Suddenly, the weight vanished and the cool air of the river bathed her sweating face. Lily scrambled to her paws, tensed and ready for more battle.

"It's just a stray kittypet!" Lily heard from behind a light, airy mew.

She whirled around, claws unsheathed and teeth bard. "Stray kittypet?" she snarled. "Scratch that," the voice said, "a very feisty kittypet."

Lily turned to the speaker slowly, curling her lip at the smirk she could hear.

"Why, hello," a small brown tom greeted, flicking his tail at her as he reached up to smoothen the ruffled fur behind his ear with a paw. His green eyes glowed amiably. "Sunstar!" he suddenly called, and he twisted his body away from Lily.

"Did you take care of it, Woodfern?" The reeds rustled as a huge tom slipped out. Lily's mouth dropped open in awe. The great tom's black and gold dappled pelt rippled in the sunlight, and his broad head was held high as he padded over. His giant paws thumped on the ground, and his long, curved claws scored marks in the dirt as he went.

"Woodfern," the magnificent cat said in a deep meow, glancing at Lily through firy amber eyes. Something flashed deep in those eyes, but Lily missed it before she could grasp it. "You didn't take care of it." He frowned at the small tom.

"But Sunstar," the wiry brown cat argued, "I thought you were watching. Didn't you see how good a fighter she is? She would have shred me to pieces if I hadn't backed off!"

"And I would have done it anyway if I hadn't spotted you sooner," Lily hissed, her ears flattened against her head.

"Well then I guess Woodfern and Streakface were extremely lucky," the older tom interrupted. "I am Sunstar," he introduced himself, "leader of RiverClan."

"And I'm Woodfern," the energetic young tom jumped in, "warrior of RiverClan!" He seemed to be bouncing on his paws.

"_Youngest _warrior in RiverClan," Sunstar corrected with a stern stare.

Lily was confused by the dizzying twist from agression to friendliness, but decided she'd play along anyway. She was bored, afterall.

"I'm Lily," she said cautiously. "No title."

Woodfern tried to stifle a _mrrrow_ of laughter by choking it down, but a giggle slipped out accidentally. Sunstar slapped his tail over Woodfern's mouth. Lily succeeded in choking down her own laughter, screwing up her face into a tight-lipped grimace.

"You are a talented fighter for such a young cat; almost as though you've been trained," Sunstar mused, a hint of something like admiration in his voice. "You would be a worthy addition to any Clan."


	6. chapter two

_**&& secret, secret.**_

_Chapter Two_

Another mysterious emotion ducked just out of reach in Sunstar's yellow eyes, and Lily stared at him, ears lopsided.

"So," Lily mewed, dragging her eyes away from the big cat and glancing evenly between the two, "can I go?"

"Did you steal any prey?" Woodfern asked, blinking his vibrant green eyes.

"Uhm, no." Lily fidgeted to the side, covering up the freshly overturned soil that concealed the fresh-kill she'd caught earlier.

"I see," Sunstar said, his naturally flaming eyes boring into Lily. "Then you may leave."

"Sunstar--" Woodfern started.

"Come, Woodfern, I remember Treeleg put you on Cougarfang's border patrol," the leader interrupted.

Woodfern followed Sunstar obediantly into the bushes, pausing one to turn around to face Lily full in the face. His mouth was half open, and he looked as though he was about to say something. But then Woodfern seemed to thing better of it, and turned away almost reluctantly.

Lily shrugged, trying not to think about the feeling nagging at the edge of her mind. She turned, and bent down to dig up the fresh-kill she'd caught earlier. Lily padded leisurely down the riverbank, half-in and half-out of the water since it was just one of those ridiculously hot day of the seasons.

As the place where the river forked came into view, Lily sighed through a mouthful of feathers. She waded deeper into the water, and kicked roughly off the muddy bottom. Paddling confidently across the river with her head held high above the swift current, Lily fixed her eyes on the far shore.

She hauled herself out, slinking silently among the dense reeds. She pricked her ears, and she yowled, throwing her voice over the tops of the ferns, "Apple! Apple, I'm _home_!"

A few fox-lengths away, out of the great brown swath, a ginger-and-white tabby face poked above the reeds. "Over here!" the tabby called.

As she slipped out of the ferns, Lily dropped the fresh-kill on a dry patch of ground. A speck of smugness glinted in her eyes. "Your turn tomorrow," she said.

"At least I'll remember the way home!" Apple teased as Lily lightly cuffed her sister across the ears.

"So anything interesting happen while you were out?" Apple asked, turning a sparrow over with her paw.

"Yes, actually," Lily replied. She suddenly recalled the image of the two strange cats. "I met these two cats."

"What two cats?" Apple took a bite out of her food, her ears pricked as she listened.

"Oh, I don't really know." Lily lied down with her paws tucked under her. "They said they were from some 'RiverClan'. One was a big, gold and black cat, and the other a small brown one."

"Troublemakers?" Apple lifted her head from tucking into the sparrow, caution flickering in her blue eyes.

Lily smirked at the memory of the tortoiseshell she-cat. "Not at all," she mewed, and added with a smile, "But I did rip one of them to shreds."

Apple let slip a _mrrrow_ of laughter, drawling sarcastically, "Right. My kind sister just killed a cat."

"Of course!" Lily grinned, and she felt her muscles relax, letting go of all the tension and frustration of today. Only her sister could do that; no one else.

As their laughter and joking died away on the breeze, Lily relaxed under the glowing dusk. Her blotchy brown and black pelt tingled, her vibrant blue-green eyes drooped as she dozed. Finally, after the sun had sunken well into the river and the moon was already shining gently in the sky, Lily and Apple ducked under the roots of a great sycamore into their earthy den.

And neither of them had no idea how tomorrow would begin her family's tragic story.

"Lily! Lily, _wake up_!"

Lily raised her sleek, narrow face from her tail, blinking drowsily. Her claws unsheathed out of instinct as she heard the hissing voice. Lily's eyes came into focus, until she could make out the small frame of Apple. Her sister's light blue eyes were clouded with worry and anxiety, and Lily noticed her legs trembled the slightest bit.

"Lily," Apple whispered, "there are strange cats outside!"

"Strange cats? _Here_?" Lily asked incredulously, bolting upright. "What in the name of the forest are they doing here?"

"I don't know," Apple choked out, her voice quivering horribly.

Lily groaned. Her sister was such a gentle, sweet cat, who was scared by just a soft rustle in the night. Apple would probably jump out of her pelt at the mere scent of strange cats.

"I'll take care of them," Lily reassured the smaller she-cat.

She pushed her way out of the warm den and into the pale dawn light. She yawned. How could Apple have bared to wake up so early?

"Hi, Lily!" a bubbly voice called out to her.

Lily stiffened. She turned around, and came to nose-to-nose with brilliantly green eyes. "Why are you here?" she hissed. "This is our territory."

"Actually," the brown cat said airily, "it's WindClan territory. But they never come near the river; they hate water too much."

"Whatever." Lily flicked her tail at him. "Just leave us alone." Her bright eyes flashed with worry as she saw Apple slip out of the den out of the corner of her eye.

The brown cat smirked. He was starting to get on Lily's nerves, so her neck fur bristled.

"Woodfern? Where are you?" a familiar voice called from within the vast ferns. "I hate to admit it, but I think I'm lost."

Suddenly, Apple was beside Lily, saying, "Just follow the sound of my voice."

Moments later, the giant form of Sunstar nudged through the reeds. "Ah, thank you," he said, blinking gratefully at the Apple. And then he glared at Woodfern.

The object of frustration shrugged. "What?" he drawled.

"You abandoned your leader," Sunstar growled, annoyed. "I was lost."

"You were going slow." The thin brown tom began licking his paw and cleaning his ears. The simple statement seemed enough reason for him.

Sunstar glared one more time at him, then went on, "Well, besides that, I have something to ask you, Lily." The big golden cat planted himself firmly in front of Lily, shoulders squared. Woodfern flanked his right, and tipped his head to one side, studying Lily rather intently. Lily stared back, silently willing him to look away. She hadn't noticed on there previous meeting, but she saw it now: his eyes truly were a dazzling shade of green. Correction -- too many shades of green to comprehend. They were the color of greenleaf, and Lily found herself drawn to those eyes, with thoughts and emotions flickering in their depths like minnows in a pool. This tom, Woodfern -- what kind of cat was he? Lily couldn't help but wonder.

Suddenly, shocking Lily out of Woodfern's gaze, Sunstar meowed, "Would you like to join RiverClan?"


	7. chapter three

_**&& secret, secret.**_

_Chapter Three_

_"What?!" _

The two sisters' eyes were wide to the point where you couldn't tell what their eye colors were, and they had their ears pressed hard against their heads. Apple's tail was fluffed out to three times its size, and Lily was sinking her claws into the damp ground. But Sunstar still hadn't moved: His shoulders were still squared, and he still had the same determined look on his face. Woodfern was apprantly scatterbrained, though. He had wandered off a few fox-lengths, and was presently batting around a pile of leaves.

"J-Join RiverClan?" Lily stammered. She was usually a calm cat, but she though this situation called specifically for surprise.

"Duh, Lily," Woodfern called absently from a few paces away.

"So what do you say?" Sunstar prodded.

"But I don't even know what RiverClan is!" Lily exclaimed. She had finally found her voice. Her mind worked furiously so that you could see the gears turning.

"Oh, you can learn about it all later." Woodfern was standing at Lily's right suddenly. "Are you interested in learning more about the forest?" he asked.

Lily was baffled by the brown tom's serious tone. Hadn't he been light and care-free a moment ago?

But she answered him anyway. "Yes..." Lily trailed off hesitantly.

"Well, we Clan cats know every pawstep in this entire forest! We've walked these territories for seasons upon seasons, and we have discovered all there is to discover here."

But then his serious moment was gone, and Woodfern was bouncing on his paws like yesterday, giddy like a hyperactive kitten. "So...? Will you join?"

Lily stared at him. _What a confusing cat. _"...Okay."

_"Lily?!" _

She turned to face Apple, whose face wore an expression of hurt of anger.

"I-I want to learn more," Lily tried to explain, "about everything. We never knew our parents well; Mother left short after our birth, Father never showed his face. Did you ever wonder about that, Apple? Maybe they were part of these Clans! Maybe they had to go back...Maybe they--"

Lily jolted to a stop as she felt small, sharp claws rake across her shoulder. She stumbled to the side a bit, surprised by the sudden blow, and stared with panicked eyes at her sister. Apple had her paw raised in the air, ready for another blow. Lily noticed tufts of her own fur poked out between her claws.

"A-Apple?" Lily rasped, her voice hushed by shock.

Her sister stared back with surprising anger flashing in her blue eyes.

"Leave!" Apple cried. "If you want to leave so badly, leave! Go look for our parents! Go look for those unfaithful parents that abandoned us in kithood! But ask yourself this!" The smaller she-cat leaned in close, so that her breath tickled Lily's ear. "If they never showed their faces, doesn't that mean they never even cared for us in the first place?" she growled in a low voice.

_"Enough!" _

Lily jumped back from her sister. The scratches on her shoulder stung with the movement. Apple and Sunstar were glaring daggers at each other on either side of her.

"If Lily wishes to leave, then you should be able to let her go, Apple," Sunstar growled, his eyes dark.

"And I am allowing her to," Apple hissed. The ginger fur along her spine prickled.

"Then we will take our leave."

And Sunstar turned promptly on his paw, padding away. Woodfern glanced at Lily, grinned, and bowed his head at her.

"She-cats first, you know?" he meowed cheekily.

Lily nodded at him, and smiled weakly, despite the circumstances.

But as she trotted away, Lily couldn't resist the urge to cast one last glance at her sister over her shoulder.

Apple sat with her tail tucked neatly over her paws, glaring after Lily with her lip curled slightly. The fur on the back of her neck was still raised, and her tail still bushed, but she seemed to have calmed down a bit. The realization that her sister was leaving was slowly dawning on her. Past the anger in her sky-blue eyes, Lily could see hurt and confusion shining dully.


	8. chapter four

_**&& secret, secret.**_

_Chapter Four_

Lily's nose twitched as the scents of too many different cat scents bombarded her senses.

"What in the name of the forest _is _that?" she asked Woodfern beside her.

"_That _is RiverClan," he grinned down at her. "A lot of cats, eh?"

"No kidding," Lily mumbled, staring straight ahead.

Sunstar and Woodfern had led Lily farther into the forest than she had ever dared venture when she had gone hunting; across the river, alongside the thundering gorge, under the Twoleg bridge, and away from the main part of the river until it was lost behind the thick reeds and ferns.

"This is all your territory?" Lily had meowed as she was led through the lush territory.

"Yes," Sunstar had replied. "This is our section of the forest. The other three Clans are forbidden to step paw past our scent markers unless they have good reason to be doing so. If they try moving the borders, we just push the borders right back. A Clan tries to steal our prey, we chase them out with claws."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Lily couldn't help blurting out.

Sunstar had glanced curiously back at her over his shoulder, then returned to the path ahead.

"But," he went on, "if a cat is in danger, and seeks help from a patrol, we help it. Be it warrior or kit, that is a law in the warrior code."

"See, Lily?" Woodfern had nudged her. "We're not that bad, now are we?"

This conversation was replaying in Lily's mind as Sunstar led her confidently up to the bank of a smoothly flowing section of the river. It was a smaller section than most, but Lily could tell she would still have to paddle a bit to reach the other side.

Sunstar gestured with his muzzle to the land across them.

"That is RiverClan's camp," he meowed.

Without another word, he slid into quietly into the water with barely a ripple, and waited on the other side for Woodfern and Lily. Lily heaved herself out of the cold water after Woodfern, shaking her thick pelt violently and sending up a spray of droplets. The two Clan cats hadn't even bothered to try and dry themselves.

"C'mon, Lily!" Lily heard Woodfern call.

She looked up to find him staring back at her over the small crest of a hill, and quickly loped up to join him.

"Are we there yet?" Lily panted. She didn't even have a clue what 'there' was.

"We are," Sunstar meowed.

Lily turned to see him standing underneath a thin curtain of trailing willow branches. His tortoiseshell pelt became dappled with slivers of shadows, and his long tail flicked from side-to-side as he turned away from her.

"Come, Lily," he called over his shoulder. "I want to announce you into RiverClan before the sun sets." He disappeared behind the willow's trunk.

Lily glanced across at Woodfern, who shrugged.

"You heard him. He's a very impatient cat, you know."

Lily lifted an eyebrow at him, but rushed after Woodfern, scooting hurriedly around the wiry tree's trunk. She was greeted by a wave of new cat scents, tinged with the salty smell of fish. In groups, cats groomed each other while talking, and some shared fresh-kill. Kits play-wrestled in front of a tightly-made den. Two old cats debated a few fox-lengths away in the shade of a hollow bush. A group of young cats laughed at jokes over fresh-kill.

"This is the camp?" Lily asked softly, breathless.

Woodfern turned to her, a full grin spread across his mouth.

"Welcome to RiverClan."

----

"All cats old enough to swim the river please join under the Willow for a Clan meeting!"

Sunstar's commanding yowl snapped Lily out of her fixation. She dragged her gaze away from the Clan and tilted her head upwards toward the sound of the golden tortoiseshell's voice. Sunstar stood tall and proud along a thick branch in the willow tree, his tail high. All the cats in the clearing began padding over to the base of the tree and sat down, gazing up expectantly at Sunstar. Lily could feel curious stares probing her pelt, and inquisitive murmurs directed at her.

"RiverClan!"

Every cat's stare snapped back to Sunstar.

"RiverClan," he yowled down, "today we welcome a member into our ranks. She has accepted our offer of training as a RiverClan apprentice. Please, treat her kindly."

The fur on the back of Lily's neck raised a bit in irritation. It sounded like Sunstar was defending her like a kit.

"Lily please step forward."

Lily, determined to prove herself strong in front of these cats, padded away from Woodfern's side and up to the wiry willow tree. Sunstar jumped nimbly down from his perch, landing silently on the balls of his paws next to Lily.

"From this day forward, this young cat shall be known as Wildpaw; in honor of her fighting skills," Sunstar meowed, touching Lily's flank with his tailtip. "Dewdrop, you shall be mentor to Wildpaw."

The Clan all took in a sharp gasp at the same time as Sunstar finished. Every cat's head turned toward the back of the crowd. They parted to reveal a small gray tom with black flecks in his fur. His dark blue eyes were wide with shock. A black she-cat beside the cat nudged him forward a bit, seeing as he wasn't going to move any time soon. The tom weaved slowly and numbly through the silently shocked Clan until he stood in front of Sunstar. Sunstar twitched his ear in Lily's direction. The gray tom bent his head to touch Lily's forehead with his muzzle. She leant down to timidly lick his shoulder after an unspoken signal in his eyes.

"Welcome to RiverClan, Wildpaw," Sunstar meowed pointedly before padding away.

Wildpaw just nodded numbly, not really hearing his words. She fixed her chaotic blue-green eyes on this grey cat, Dewdrop, her mentor.

"So..." Dewdrop shuffled his paws, embarrassed. "I guess we'll start by showing you around the territory." It came out as more of a question than a statement.

Wildpaw shrugged. "I've seen most of it already, but I suppose you can show me the highlights," she mewed indifferently.

"Good, then," Dewdrop said. He seemed to be trying to take more authority, but his voice still wavered into high pitches. "Then you'll be able to keep up."

He led Wildpaw out of the RiverClan camp and across the stream. As Wildpaw paused to shake out her fur, she noticed that the camp was surrounded on all sides by water. Not much distance from land, but enough that you had to swim.

"That's interesting...," she murmured to herself. "You live on an island?"

Dewdrop paused ahead, looking over his shoulder at Wildpaw. "Neat, huh? The camp never get's raided that way. The other Clans absolutely _hate _water, so they can't get across to attack," he explained as she trotted up.

"What _are _the other Clans, anyway?" Wildpaw asked as they walked along the river. "I think there's one with storm or lightning in it."

Dewdrop chuckled a bit. "No, that would be ThunderClan," he said. His tail twitched in the direction opposite them, across the river towards the dense forest. "They stalk prey in the forest, through thick brambles and thorns. I don't know how they pull it off. Robinstar is their leader. And up ahead--" Dewdrop gestured with his muzzle to the moorlands beyond, "--is WindClan. They are the swiftest runners in the forest, and only hunt rabbits because other prey is too slow for them and no fun to hunt. Led by Greatstar, they've been going easy and calm nowadays. Now, compared to ShadowClan..." He snorted. "Well, compared to ShadowClan, I guess even the most unruly rogue is better-mannered. They've called dibs on the marsh lands opposite WindClan. Although, I'm not sure why; the only prey there are lizards and frogs and rats and crowfood." Dewdrop shuddered. "Eating any those is just plain revolting. But Eveningstar is nice, I suppose. She's more prone to peace than most in ShadowClan." He turned to Wildpaw. "Got all that?" he asked, concluding his long monolouge.

"ThunderClan equals forest and Robinstar; WindClan has fast runners and rabbits and Greatstar; ShadowClan comes out to Eveningstar and bad manners and marsh." Wildpaw nodded. "Yes, I think I got all that," she mewed. "And RiverClan? You haven't talked about us yet."

"RiverClan...." Dewdrop stopped abruptly, a glint coming into his eye. "RiverClan, you shall learn through experience. Tell you what," he leaned in close to Wildpaw's face so that his breath stirred her whiskers slightly, "at the end of your training, after you've become a warrior, before you're vigil, you have to describe RiverClan to me in one word. As a farewell to your apprenticeship."

Wildpaw's head spun. First day out training, and already thinking about becoming a warrior? There were still quite a lot of moons to come before even considering that!


	9. chapter five

**_&& secret, secret._**

_Chapter Five_

"Once more! You'll definitely get it if you go once more!"

"Fine, then, mouse-brain, I'll go--_ow_!"

"That's no way to speak to your mentor."

Wildpaw flicked her ears irritably as her head crowded with stars. "Did you feel it necessary to cuff me that hard?" she meowed, shaking her head.

"That is no way to speak to your mentor," Dewdrop replied simply.

Wildpaw curled her lip at the smugness she detected in his voice.

"Now, try again," Dewdrop instructed, turning his pale blue gaze back on the gently rippling river water.

Wildpaw sighed, "Okay," and crouched down next to him. Her eyes reflected the lapping water as she gazed intently into it. Finally, after what seemed like endless moons of silence and absolutely no movement, a small shadow flitted in the watery shadows. Wildpaw's forepaw shot forward instantly, and she felt her claws snag on something slippery and heavy. When she pulled it back out, a shiny grey fish was dragged onto the ground.

"Hah!" cried Wildpaw delightedly. "I've caught one!"

Dewdrop's eyes shone. "Told you," he mewed smugly.

Ignoring his smart tone, Wildpaw fastened her teeth firmly into the tail of the fish and began lugging it away from the riverbank. She paused at the edge of the ferns, her blue-green eyes questioning and expectant. She pointed with her tail towards camp.

"I suppose that's enough for today," Dewdrop shrugged.

As mentor and apprentice walked through the lush lands, Wildpaw thought with a pang of regret what shame it was that Apple had never tasted fish before. Wildpaw was growing frantic with the scent of the delicious-smelling fish clogging her senses, and she had to suffocate the urge to take a huge bite out of it right then and there. She thought excitedly of scarfing it down in camp.

Dewdrop seemed to notice her hunger.

"Don't you dare eat that fish, not even at camp," he snapped instantly. "One of the most important tasks of an apprentice is the duty of feeding the elders. Before your own meal."

Wildpaw stopped dead in her tracks, fumbling with the fish. Quite by accident, she took a quick snap of it and took a bite out. She swallowed it purely out of surprise, but that didn't stop Dewdrop's temper from rising just the tiniest bit. He walked up to Wildpaw and snatched the fish out of her mouth, his muzzle brushing her whiskers severely.

"Sprint back to camp," he instructed after putting down the fish, "and go clean the warriors' den."

Wildpaw stared at her mentor with her eyes wide as the moon, her mouth hanging literally open. She felt the urge to rake her claws across the pile of crowfood's head, and her claws sprang out. Dewdrop had already turned around, flicking his tail disdainfully. She even bunched her muscles together in preparation for the pounce...

Wildpaw shook her head. This was no time for battle moves. This was a time of obediance; that was how Dewdrop had explained the path of a warrior. So the mottled apprentice bit her tongue and sheathed her claws wordlessly, taking off at a dead sprint past the older cat.

As she ran, Wildpaw grumbled to herself why she had been punished so unfairly. It was Dewdrop's fault anyway. He had shocked her, she had only sputtered incoherently. He could have just scolded her and been done with it.

She exploded into camp, tripping over her own feet so that she tumbled into the paws of an even more infuriating face.

"Well, hello there, naive apprentice." Woodfern smirked down at her, and nuzzled her cheek as he helped her to her paws.

"Get off me!" she growled, baring her teeth. "I've gotta go clean the warriors' den," she grumbled. She cuffed him severely over the ears once more, and stalked away. But then she stopped mid-step, head cocked.

Woodfern walked up beside her. "Don't know where the warriors' den is?"

She lowered her head and didn't reply.

"Alright," the wiry tom sighed, as if Wildpaw had been pestering him endlessly. "I'll help you just this once, okay, apprentice?" He held the ferns apart for her as they strode out of camp.

And even though Woodfern was annoying her to the point that she wanted to claw his nose off, Wildpaw laughed with him and retaliated when he suddenly began a moss-ball fight outside camp.

_**&&.**_

"Ah, so _soft_! You did very good, Wildpaw," Woodfern purred. He snuggled deeper into his newly-moss-padded nest, burying his muzzle into the springy bedding until Wildpaw couldn't seperate his eyes from the moss.

"Mouse-brain," she retorted, patting down a loose scrap of moss she spotted. "You made me do the whole stupid den while you just sat there a like a fat old housecat."

"Oh, so I'm a kittypet now, am I? What happened to calling me 'a psychotic squwaking bird'?"

"I felt you needed a name change; the last one was too long to use."

Woodfern smiled, and grunted as he stretched luxuriously. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. "Anyway," he mewed, closing his eyes, "I feel like a nap. Care to join me?" His tail thumped the nest beside him, and Wildpaw couldn't tell whether he was joking or not.

"No thanks," she mewed after a pause, and padded out of the den with Woodfern calling after her, "Wish me peaceful dreams!"

To which she promptly replied, "I wish you dreams filled with Twoleg monsters and huge dogs." She continued her way across the clearing, in search of Dewdrop or Sunstar or some friendly face willing to show her around camp. Wildpaw found the latter, fortunately, in the cat that bumped into her while she was admiring the well-stocked prey pile.

"Hey, watch it!" Wildpaw whirled on the cat, who she felt to be older than her, but not as strong.

"Oh, excuse me. You're that new apprentice, aren't you? Wildpaw, was it? I was about to come looking for you."

The voice was soft and polite, and reminded Wildpaw of Apple. Wildpaw looked the stranger up-and-down, taking in the cat's tall and slender figure. She examined the cat's pale tabby stripes, her small paws, her delicate shoulders, her dawn-colored eyes, and immediately labelled her as fragile, even though she was probably older than Wildpaw.

"My name is Violetbreeze; I hope you'll take to RiverClan well, Wildpaw," the fragile cat said warmly. "Sunstar's told me to show you around camp a bit; you know, to help you get your bearings." She stood up and began to pad away, beckoning with her tail.

Wildpaw scrambled to follow.

* * *

**a/n; **I take SO LONG to update D:


	10. chapter six

ohmigosh, ANOTHER short chapter...

* * *

_**&& secret, secret.**_

_Chapter Six_

". . . and this is the apprentices' den, where you will be sleeping, Wildpaw," meowed Violetbreeze as she strolled to a stop in front of a hollowed-out bush. "Go on, poke your head inside; no one's in there," she added, seeing that her charge wasn't going to take the initiative step.

Wildpaw shot the silver she-cat an off glare. "I'm not stupid," she pointed out casually. "There are two cats in there."

"Aw, you noticed that?" The fragile cat sighed and turned to the den's entrance. "Flowerpaw, Darkpaw, you can come out---she's not going to go in herself, after all."

"Seriously?" A pale orange-and-white tabby poked her head out.

"Well, we were only a few fox-lengths away, Flowerpaw," a quiet voice pointed out as a black tabby head nudged the other's aside.

"Don't go pointing out the flaws in my plans, Darkpaw," the orange she-cat replied heatedly, glancing at her companion. "You're the one who agreed to it."

"But---didn't you come up with it?" The black tabby looked bewilderingly at her as he followed her fully out of the den.

"Whatever." She flicked her tail dismissively, and turned to Wildpaw's escort, mewing politely, "Now, Violetbreeze, will you introduce us?" while flashing a friendly smile.

"Of course," was the reply, along with a gentler smile that brought moonbeams to Wildpaw's mind. "These two, Wildpaw, will be two out of your four denmates: Flowerpaw"---the orange tabby waved her tail happily---"and Darkpaw." The black tom bowed his head sheepishly, giving her a shaky smile under his lashes.

"Hi, there," mewed Wildpaw distractedly, nodding slightly. She was looking over Darkpaw's trembling shoulder at Dewdrop, padding into camp alongside a grey-and-white tabby she-cat. They carried a load of fish between themselves, certainly enough to last for at least a quarter-moon. They deposited their catches on the fresh-kill pile in the shade of a gnarled tree stump, and paused there, chatting while picking out their meals.

For a moment, Wildpaw dragged her gaze away from the pair and took a little notice of the rest of the camp. Cats were slowly emerging from their dens, stretching from a recently finished nap, or padding in through the camp entrace to take seemingly-customary spots in the clearing. Darkpaw and Flowerpaw eventually edged away, retreating to the very base of the Willow's groping roots. Senior warriors grouped up more towards a medium boulder with a gaping hole at its bottom, while the younger cats sat together closer to the apprentices but still in semi-ear-shot of their mentors. The oldest cats in the Clan, the elders, had the privilege of basking on the warm rocks close to the camp entrance.

Violetbreeze tapped Wildpaw between the shoulder blades with her tail. "Wildpaw? Do you want to join the other apprentices or continue the tour?"

Wildpaw glanced over at the hopping and laughing apprentices around the Willow, struggling to picture herself among them, then back over her shoulder at Violetbreeze. "On with the tour," she mewed flatly, making sure her face remained expressionless.

The silver she-cat dipped her head respectfully.

"Then we'll start with the warriors' den," she meowed cheerfully, as though nothing at all had happened. "It's right over here; yup, this big cat-tail den. They're all woven together, see, Wildpaw?" Violetbreeze wrapped a paw around one of the furry tendrils and poked Wildpaw's nose with it. "They're called cat-tails because they look like tails," she stated, smiling.

"I think I could have figured that out, Violetbreeze---" Wildpaw started, before a smooth, high-pitched mew interrupted her.

"Hey, Violetbreeze? Have you seen Sunstar anywhere? He's not in his den, or---"

It was the grey-and-white tabby Wildpaw had seen walking with Dewdrop earlier. Her jaws were parted mid-sentence and her eyes were round in shock, as she stared at Wildpaw. Wildpaw fidgeted under the frozen pale amber eyes, uncomfortable. _I thought everyone knew I was here..._

Violetbreeze stepped forward in front of Wildpaw, pushing her back gently with her tail. "Stealthstep," she meowed softly, "this is the new RiverClan apprentice I'm sure Sunstar told you about. She was a loner before she came here. Her name is Wildpaw, Stealthstep." The fragile she-cat's voice was strong, affirming, and unquestionable as she stared down the grey-and-white tabby, Stealthstep. She paused.

"Stealthstep---"

"Why?" Stealthstep took a step forward, knees wobbling. "Why did he name the new apprentice that? Why? Let me see her, Violetbreeze. Please..." She scrabbled forward suddenly, attempting to bolt around the silver she-cat.

Violetbreeze caught her with a paw and shoved her back. Quite forcefully, Wildpaw noted, shocked. She was so slender and fragile, that she seemed incapable of such a rough gesture.

"Go find Sunstar, Stealthstep," she mewed softly, darkly. "Wi---the new apprentice and I are taking a tour of the camp right now."

"D-Don't tell me what to do, Violetbreeze...," Stealthstep tried to mew angrily, but she ended up sounding almost hysterical. But she backed away anyway, with her pale yellow eyes straining for a glimpse of Wildpaw behind, until she turned away and stumbled out of camp.

There was an awkward silence then, in which Wildpaw stared open-mouted after Stealthstep and Violetbreeze remained stoic and silent. Wildpaw wasn't exactly sure about what had just happened, and unfinished thoughts swirled in her head, replaying Stealthstep's words over and over again in hopes of finding some reason in them. But the mottled apprentice was certain of two things at least: Violetbreeze was indeed a curious cat...but Stealthstep's open shock at Wildpaw's name was even more intrigueing to her.

* * *

**a/n; **i kinda love Flowerpaw and Darkpaw :]


	11. chapter seven

_**&**__**&**__**s**__**e**__**c**__**r**__**e**__**t**__**, **__**s**__**e**__**c**__**r**__**e**__**t**__**.**_

_Chapter Seven_

Wildpaw's first night in RiverClan was---awkward, to say the least. Although she and her sister had shared a den underground for so long, Wildpaw wasn't used to sleeping in such close quarters with four other heavily-breathing cats. Her denmates' breaths filled the air with steam that had Wildpaw's lungs screaming for the crisp, frosty air of the night. Not to mention the left side of her flank felt strangely empty and cold without Apple's familiar warmth pressed up against it.

Wildpaw had slipped noiselessly out of the apprentices' den, letting out a brief sigh of relief before the disturbed murmurs of Flowerpaw made her quiet down. She didn't realize when she fell asleep, but she did remember blinking groggily up at a moonlit Violetbreeze, who spoke gently to her as she was led back to her nest.

Except...Wildpaw couldn't help but thinking why Violetbreeze had been up so late.

**&&.**

The next day, Wildpaw was wondering the same thing at morning practice, twitching her ears this way and that as she mulled it over. It was obvious the mottled apprentice was sharp, but, when it came to remembering something significant in a memory, the detail slipped frustratingly past her.

"Hey!"

Wildpaw instinctively raised her tail against the onslaught of dried ferns---they hit her square in the face anyway.

"What was that for, mouse-brain?" she snapped, whipping her gaze around to glare at an innocently smiling Oysterpaw.

"You weren't paying attention, Wildpaw," the pale grey she-cat said in a small voice, but her glinting stormy green eyes were mischievious. "Mapleleaf was about to show us a new battle move."

"All right, then," Wildpaw said, and flashed her own tight smile back; stepping carefully around the sharp ferns, she took a seat next to Oysterpaw.

The two she-cat apprentices went together well, others had to admit. With Oysterpaw's deep, deep green orbs that brought out even the palest green hues in Wildpaw's eyes, and Wildpaw's black-and-brown pelt that had Oysterpaw and her smooth, silver pelt looking like a minnow's scales, the she-cats had silently fallen into step beside one another upon approach. An unspoken competition had broken out between them, too, for just generally being the best. Maybe Wildpaw hadn't realized it, and was just plodding along as natrually and obliviously as she always did, but fierce little Oysterpaw was certainly making use of it by sparking the easily-lit irritated flame in her denmate as often as she liked.

Mapleleaf, Oysterpaw's hard mentor, glanced sternly at Wildpaw from her crouched position in the middle of the short valley that RiverClan apprentices usually trained at.

"Wildpaw, if you aren't going to pay attention, I'll surely bring Dewdrop down here for you," the red-brown she-cat quipped, narrowing her amber eyes. Mapleleaf wasn't the nicest cat along the river, and hadn't exactly supported Wildpaw's entering the Clan. In fact, Wildpaw almost suspected Mapleleaf hated her, but she chose not to dwell on that for too long.

Wildpaw narrowed her own gaze right back at the older warrior, and turned away. "No, thank you," she mewed softly. After the fish incident, she hadn't trained with Dewdrop.

"Too late."

Oysterpaw raised her head, breaking out into a full-fledged 'oh-hey-there-you-should-notice-how-pretty-I-am' grin. "Dewdrop~!" she cried, scrambling to her paws.

Wildpaw had stiffened at his first words, her spine going rigid and her breath shortening. She turned around with blocky movements, until she was wholly confronted with the gently smiling figure of her mentor. He reeked of sweat and running, and his pale grey, black-striped pelt shimmered slightly with a light sheen of sweat. As their eyes met, the smile drained out of his lips; he looked down and scuffled his paws. Meanwhile, Oysterpaw was trying to nuzzle her face into Dewdrop's shoulder.

"Er...Wildpaw...," he started uncertainly.

Wildpaw whipped away, her back to him as she suddenly cried, "Sorry, Mapleleaf! Could I see that battle move again?"

Mapleleaf looked up, and sighed exasperatedly. "The key to training, Wildpaw, is _to listen_. Now, you see, you crouch down like this---"

"Hey! Don't struggle! I said, _don't struggle_!"

Suddenly, there was sickening _thud _from over the valley's opposite ridge, an angry battle screech, and the sound of three sets of paws thundering over the ground. And then a ginger-and-white tabby she-cat exploded from the ferns, panting, scratches bleeding all over her face and shoulders. Cougarfang and Hailpelt, two older warriors, barrelled over the hill after her, and Cougarfang came close to nipping her heels before Wildpaw sprang forward and cuffed him over the head _hard_ with unsheathed claws.

"What the---?" the sandy-brown tom yowled as he skidded away, limber muscles thumping where the ground was uneven.

"What are you _doing_?" Wildpaw snarled at Hailpelt from across the valley. She was standing over the trembling ginger-and-white tabby, her tail curled protectively around her flank.

Hailpelt padded calmly up to Wildpaw until he stood nose-to-nose with the shorter cat. "She's a rogue," he said slowly, as if talking to a kit. "She doesn't have the right to come _traipsing _into camp like that." His pale blue-grey eyes were stoic, cold, like two chips of foggy ice. His voice was deep and dark.

"I--I didn't just traipse into camp!" said 'rogue' burst out indignantly, although her voice shook. She glanced bewilderdly up at Wildpaw. "Tell them who I am, Lily!" she pleaded, her golden eyes wide and helpless.

Wildpaw didn't bother to correct her sister's name mistake; she'd tell her later, because, as far as she knew, there _would _be a later. Wildpaw met Hailpelt's gaze head on, challengingly. She gestured with her tail to the newcomer, meowing, "This is my sister, Apple. She's come to speak to me, and me _alone_." She flicked her eyes to Hailpelt's pointedly.

Cougarfang stepped forward, shouldering his way past Hailpelt. He glared down at Wildpaw, his eyes two amber, enraged flames. "We'll see what Sunstar has to say about her then," he sneered, and Wildpaw dulled her eyes and flattened her brow. The idiot really thought he had the upper paw on her. No matter how much older he was, or how much more 'experience' he had, Wildpaw thought Cougarfang wasn't the brightest kit in the nursery.

"Why don't we?" she shot back reflexively, and Apple whimpered.

Hailpelt nodded respectively at each of them, and, turning to the stunned Oysterpaw, Dewdrop, and Mapleleaf, apologized for interrupting their training session, but he had to borrow Wildpaw for a moment. Dewdrop nodded slowly, and he shared a confused look with his apprentice, but said nothing.

"C'mon, Apple." Wildpaw nosed her sister to shaky paws, and, somehow, managed to catch up to Cougarfang and Hailpelt as they set off for camp. Wildpaw glowered defiantly at the ground with each pawstep, because she felt like...such an _outsider. _Both older warriors flanked not only Apple, but Wildpaw, too, one with an icy expression that made it hard to look directly at his face, and the other with a smug, fiery tint to his eyes that had Wildpaw craving to cuff him across the face again. It was as though she was back to yeserday, a tough mask firmly set on her face while she felt such intense uneasy emotions in her gut that she wanted to throw up.

* * *

**a/n; **look who came backkkk~ :3


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